Shout-Out: A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn't an accident-or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court.

Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan's unceasing expansion-all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret-one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life-or rescue it from annihilation.

Book Review: The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood

Pros: great characters, interesting plot, immersive storytelling

Cons: 

Maia’s always wanted her own bonded dragon to raise, and this year’s larger than usual clutches have given her hope that her time has come. But a northern aerie has been decimated by the Harodh and their unnatural horrors, its qits killed or taken, and the Dragonry’s needs for new dragons to fight the menace trump a young woman’s. 

The appearance of the fabled Summer Dragon, witnessed by Maia and her brother, puts them at the center of a power struggle between their aerie, the Dragonry, and the Temple. Because Maia’s getting her dragon this year, one way or another. 

With the exception of two prequel scenes, the novel’s told from Maia’s point of view.  Maia’s a fascinating character.  She wants a lot from life but she’s willing to put the work and effort into earning things for herself.  She courageous in the face of horrors, and determined to do what’s right.  She’s a character who speaks her mind and tells truths the adults around her are too tactful, or scared, to say.

There are a fair number of twists to the plot, especially towards the end of the book.  The pacing is great, with some time to get to know the principle characters followed by several tense chapters, then some down time to learn about new characters before things get tense and dangerous again.

The storytelling is descriptive enough to draw a picture of the location and action, but not so detailed so as to bog down the narrative.  When the action is on, reading this is more like watching a film, incredibly immersive.

I loved learning about dragon raising and riding.  Lockwood introduced the necessary terms along with their meanings so there’s no sense of feeling lost, unaware of what’s going on.  There’s also no unnecessary exposition.  We learn with Maia and the qits.

The focus of the book is on a fairly small area.  There’s a map that shows the wider world, and a few times events happening elsewhere are recounted.  People and dragons with various colourations are mentioned, along with which geographic area they come from.  The religion is cribbed from aspects of Christianity, though it’s not a direct representation.  

There’s an overwhelming sense of hope in this book - that hard work, courage, and determination can overcome all obstacles.  This made it feel like the fantasy novels that came out in the 80s, rather than the grim dark currently popular.  It’s got a freshness to it that I enjoyed.  Having said that, there are some very dark moments and I could not believe some of the revelations. 

Todd Lockwood is one of the best fantasy artists ever, so it should come as no surprise that he’s drawn his own cover, map, aerie schematic, and section illustrations.  The interior artwork is all black and white sketches, but they are gorgeous.

The only negative I found, is that while I got to know the protagonists really well, I didn’t feel much connection to the supporting cast.  One character in particular I would have liked to know more about, and events with them during the climax didn’t hit me with the emotional punch they might have, had that connection been deeper. 

I’ve long admired Lockwood’s artwork and now I admire his impressive writing skills too.  This is a fantastic debut, one that’s perfect as an introduction to the genre as well as for long time dragon lovers.

Shout-Out: Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Thomas Sweterlitsch

Yesterday cannot last forever...

A decade has passed since the city of Pittsburgh was reduced to ash.

While the rest of the world has moved on, losing itself in the noise of a media-glutted future, survivor John Dominic Blaxton remains obsessed with the past. Grieving for his wife and unborn child who perished in the blast, Dominic relives his lost life by immersing in the Archive, —a fully interactive digital reconstruction of Pittsburgh, accessible to anyone who wants to visit the places they remember and the people they loved.

Dominic investigates deaths recorded in the Archive to help close cases long since grown cold, but when he discovers glitches in the code surrounding a crime scene, —the body of a beautiful woman abandoned in a muddy park, that he's convinced someone tried to delete from the Archive, —his cycle of grief is shattered.

With nothing left to lose, Dominic tracks the murder through a web of deceit that takes him from the darkest corners of the Archive to the ruins of the city itself, leading him into the heart of a nightmare more horrific than anything he could have imagined.

Out July 15.

Shout-Out: Darkwalker by E. L. Tettensor

SF Signal has a fascinating mind meld where 2013 debut authors talk about things they've learned since getting published.  One of the authors had a book come out in December which I somehow missed.  It looks pretty interesting, so here's a shout-out for it.

He used to be the best detective on the job. Until he became the hunted...

Once a legendary police inspector, Nicolas Lenoir is now a disillusioned and broken man who spends his days going through the motions and his evenings drinking away the nightmares of his past. Ten years ago, Lenoir barely escaped the grasp of the Darkwalker, a vengeful spirit who demands a terrible toll on those who have offended the dead. But the Darkwalker does not give up on his prey so easily, and Lenoir has always known his debt would come due one day.

When Lenoir is assigned to a disturbing new case, he treats the job with his usual apathy —until his best informant, a street savvy orphan, is kidnapped. Desperate to find his young friend before the worst befalls him, Lenoir will do anything catch the monster responsible for the crimes, even if it means walking willingly into the arms of his own doom…